House appropriations panel approves amended HB1015, reallocates $50 million toward municipal and county infrastructure funds

The House Appropriations — Government Operations Division voted to attach two amendments and advance House Bill 1015 as amended on Feb. 22, 2024, after a series of staff briefings and member questions about specific budget line items.

The action, taken during a committee meeting chaired by Chairman Munson, included a motion to attach an amendment discussed by the committee and a second amendment offered by Vice Chair Brandenburg. The committee approved the first amendment (vote recorded as approved 6–0 with one member absent) and later carried the second amendment; the full amended bill passed the committee on a recorded roll call with all present voting yes. Chairman Munson said he will “be the one carrying this to the floor” and planned to bring the item to the full committee the next day.

Why it matters: the amendments change how oil-and-gas-derived allocations flow into state infrastructure accounts. Committee members and staff described the amendments as reducing a large State Infrastructure Fund (SIF) bucket and adding $25 million to the municipal infrastructure fund and $25 million to the county and township…